Islam & Equality Within the Family (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Muslim Teachings Regarding the Equality of Men & Women

Muslim Teachings About the Role of Men and Women

• Muslims believe that because Allah created both men and women, they are therefore equal

• Both men and women have an equally important role in procreation

• However, their roles and responsibilities within the family are different

The Role of Men 

• Men should marry

• Men are seen to be the ‘protectors of women’

• They should provide for their family

• They will help to raise their children as good Muslims

• They should follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad as ‘an excellent model’ (Qur’an, Surah 33:21) which means that they should undertake some domestic roles in the home, because Muhammad did chores such as mending his own clothes

The Role of Women

• The Qur’an says women should marry

• They should remain faithful to their husbands

• They are required to have children

• They should raise their children as good Muslims, supported by their husbands 

• Many Muslims believe that a woman’s most important role is as a wife and mother

• They are traditionally required to look after the home

• They are free to work and have a career if they wish

• They do not have to give their income to their husbands

• Women may own property and inherit money (although in some Muslim countries these rights are denied to them because of cultural traditions)

The Role of Men & Women at the Time of Muhammad

• At the time of the Prophet Muhammad there were many examples of women being treated poorly

• Muhammad taught people that these injustices were wrong and that women should be valued and respected

• He made sure women

  • Could own property

  • Could divorce their husbands

  • Could receive a better education

• Many Muslims believe that this was one of the main reasons why Allah chose Muhammad to be a prophet and it shaped the future of Islam

• Muhammad’s wives have been called mothers of the believers (Qur’an, Surah 33:6) and his wife Aishah was a scholar and teacher, showing that Islam raised the status of women at the time of Muhammad

• When the Qur’an was revealed at this time, it called on both men and women to play a part in making a better society

Divergent Muslim Attitudes Towards Equality of Men & Women

Divergent Attitudes Towards Equality Today

• There are some differences in attitudes towards the equality of men and women today

• Most Muslims would say that men and women are equal in the eyes of Allah, because both were created equally ‘from one soul’ (Qur’an, Surah 4:1)

  • The Hadith describes their equality as ‘equal… as the teeth of a comb’

• The roles of men and women may be different, but they complement each other and are designed to support each other

• These roles are all part of Allah’s plan for humanity and are natural to each gender

• Other Muslims are concerned that traditional views of the roles of men and women are outdated in the twenty-first century

• They would say that there are greater rights and opportunities for women today, and so the traditional roles ought to be redefined to suit the modern world

• They would say that some parts of the Qur’an seem to teach not that men and women are equal, but that men have power over women and that women should be obedient to them